Pitching Gaudin could be right move for Yankees
"I've got no chance against lefties," the Yankees' CC Sabathia said Friday, talking about his hitting, not his pitching.
Well, the Phillies are starting right-hander Joe Blanton in Game 4 and lefty Cliff Lee in Game 5, making the decision easy for Yankees manager Joe Girardi, right?
Uh, not exactly.
Girardi needs to figure out how to deploy Sabathia in his World Series rotation, not his lineup.
Sabathia will be a lock to start Game 4 on three days' rest if the Yankees fall behind the Phillies, two games to one.
He might even be a lock to start if the Yankees win, considering Chad Gaudin has pitched one inning in the past 28 days.
The latter choice, though, is not as clear-cut as it appears. If the Yankees led the Series, I'm not sure pitching Gaudin would be the wrong move.
Since 1999, teams using a starter on three days rest against a fully rested counterpart in the postseason are 12-35, according to STATS LLC.
Sabathia proved an exception in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, dominating the Angels for eight innings.
But this decision would not solely involve Sabathia.
If the Yankees commit to Sabathia in games 4 and 7, if necessary, they also will be committing to right-hander A.J. Burnett and lefty Andy Pettitte on short rest in games 5 and 6.
That's right, the Yankees would close out a potential seven-game Series with four consecutive starts on short rest -- unless Girardi picked Gaudin for Game 5 and skipped either Burnett or Pettitte, a ridiculous idea.
If Gaudin started, it would be in Game 4, enabling Girardi to start Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte on normal rest in the final three games. Sabathia then would be available in relief for Game 7, the way Lee will be for the Phillies.
Not so awful, is it?
Again, there is no way Girardi will start Gaudin if the Yankees lose Game 3 on Saturday and face a potential deficit of three games to one.
Girardi, however, could adopt a different mindset if the Yankees won Saturday, knowing his worst-case scenario would be a Series tied at two games each.
"I don't think that necessarily has too much to do with it, it's just physically how the players are doing," Girardi said Friday when asked how much the Yankees' position in the Series would influence his decision.
He quickly backed off, adding: "You know, that does have a little something to do with it, but it's just something we want to discuss."
Burnett, for once, is not a concern -- he is 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA in four career starts on three days' rest. A high pitch count by Pettitte in Game 3, however, could play a role in Girardi's thinking. Pettitte, 37, missed a start in September because of shoulder fatigue.
His career numbers on three days' rest are decent -- 5-6 with a 3.88 ERA in 15 starts. But he would be moving out of his comfort zone -- the last time Pettitte made a start on three days' rest was Sept. 30, 2006.
Then again, the four innings or so the Yankees get from Pettitte, the all-time leader in postseason wins, might be better than anything they get from Gaudin.
Yankees officials rave about Gaudin's fearlessness and point out he has developed a changeup to better counter left-handed hitters. Still, Gaudin's statistics against lefties do not reflect much progress, and three of the Phillies' best hitters -- Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez -- are left-handed.
Perhaps Gaudin could last 75 to 80 pitches, backed by right-hander Joba Chamberlain, who could work two or three innings in relief. Girardi, regardless of what he decides, will need to use his bullpen heavily at least once, either behind Gaudin in Game 4 or Pettitte in Game 6. Why not do it earlier in the Series and try to beat Blanton in a 10-7 slugfest?
The reason, ultimately, might come down to fear — the second-guessing of Girardi would reach near-hysterical levels if the Yankees lost after holding back Sabathia. Better the team should lose with proven pitchers than a journeyman such as Gaudin.
Girardi, though, is not one to follow convention, particularly when the statistics in his binders suggest an alternate path. A victory in Game 3, and he might be swayed by the numbers that show how badly recent postseason teams have fared using starters on three days' rest.
Few would think he was right.
I'm not sure he would be wrong.
(c) 2009 Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
Yankees represent everything wrong with baseball
Columnist Nico Savidge discusses the problems with rooting for the Yankees.
As I watched the New York Yankees celebrate their Game 6 ALCS victory and trip to the World Series, it finally hit me why they are the franchise I hate most in all of sports.
For years, there has been no team I despise more than the Yankees--more than the college rivals I've cheered against like Minnesota or Stanford, more than the Oakland Raiders and certainly more than any other baseball team.
Now I see why I hate the Yankees so much: They symbolize everything that is wrong with Major League Baseball, and embody all of the qualities that drew me away from the game in the first place. From terrible owners to inflated payrolls to gaudy stadiums, the Yankees have them all.
Let's start with domineering owner George Steinbrenner. His style of management has already made him a caricature in the minds of many fans, and you would be hard-pressed to find any owner that fans and players hate more than him.
With the possible exception of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis or former Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott, can you think of an owner who made himself more of a story than the team as much as Steinbrenner has?
Steinbrenner's method of signing players to absurd contracts, making it impossible for smaller teams to compete, is another one of baseball's issues the Yankees employ.
You could say I'm just a bitter fan of a ''Moneyball'' team who is tired of seeing his team's best players bought up by the Yankees. But they essentially bought their American League Championship this year, and if they win the World Series they will have their inflated payroll to thank for that as well.
The Yankees pluck the best players from clubs all around baseball, pulling them away from fans with massive salary offers no one can compete with. I'm not an advocate for a baseball salary cap, but you would be hard pressed to find a better argument in favor of it than the ''Evil Empire.''
The new Yankee Stadium even takes those terrible qualities from the field to the stands.
I made my view of absurd new stadiums clear a couple of weeks ago, and there is no bigger offender than the Yankees' new home. After tearing down a shrine to baseball history, they erected a new one bowing down to everything that is wrong about modern baseball stadiums.
Of course, there are the now-famous ''Legends Suite'' tickets, which cost $1,250 per game--after the Yankees halved the ticket cost when they realized people wouldn't pay $2,500 for one baseball game, absurd ticket prices aren't the only terrible thing about the new Yankee Stadium. The stadium is an awful attempt to create a sense of history in a gaudy new park, while the whole building is plastered with obtrusive advertisements.
This is by no means a complete list of the Yankees' terrible attributes--let's not forget that the Yankees have an admitted steroid user leading their offense, their broadcasters (specifically John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman) are some of the biggest homers in baseball, and their fans are some of the worst in all of sports.
People don't hate the Yankees because they're jealous of them. Sure, I would love for my team to win 26 World Series titles, or possibly 27 depending on the next couple of weeks, but the real reason people despise the Yankees is because of what they represent.
A Republican friend of mine jokes that he likes the Yankees because they represent everything that's good about big business: they have the most money, so they get the best talent and win world championships at the expense of smaller teams.
He's right: the Yankees are the sports equivalent of a massive corporation, dominating their competition and stuffing their own pockets with championships. Their owner's style, player acquisitions and even stadium are all part of an homage to the absurd wealth that has so deeply impacted baseball.
Teams like the Yankees have caused me to drift further and further from baseball in the past five years, and they embody everything I can't stand about what the sport has become.
Think it's not the Yankees' fault because you have to blame the game, not the player? Or are the Yankees just fun to hate?
(c) The Daily Cardinal.
Five questions about Angels-Yankees
Now this is a League Championship Series. The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels had the most wins in the major leagues this year, they scored the most runs in the major leagues, they each swept through the Division Series, and each team knows -- with the way the past few years have gone in the postseason -- that getting this far simply is not satisfying enough. This series has everything. It has history. It has Mark Teixeira against his old teammates, Bobby Abreu against his old team. The two teams split the season series 5-5 and are playing their best at the right time. It has all the makings of a great series.
Here are five questions:
1. Is Alex Rodriguez on his way to a monster postseason?
It certainly looks that way. The look on his face when he drilled a two-out RBI single in Game 1 against the Twins was one of liberation, as if he was telling himself, "Yes, I can do this." Before there were only questions -- he had had only one RBI in his previous 16 postseason games -- and now, it appears, there is only redemption. The game-tying home run off Joe Nathan in the ninth inning, saving Game 2, was perhaps another epiphany for A-Rod: "Yes, I can also hit for power in the postseason." And then he did it again with a game-tying home run off Carl Pavano in the seventh inning of Game 3. Rodriguez hit five home runs in 24 at-bats against the Angels during the regular season. And more good news for the Yankees: It seems Teixeira has joined Rodriguez in this redemptive postseason. There were those around baseball who wondered if Teixeira was up for being his best at the most important time, and now we might have that answer. Teixeira's first home run in his postseason career also was the first walk-off HR of his career. It won Game 2, leaving the park in 2.88 seconds.
2. How dangerous is that Angels offense?
It is relentless. They are the only team in history with 11 players with 50-plus RBIs, they tied the record for most players (10) with 100 hits and tied for the most players (nine) with 60-plus runs scored. "This is the best offensive team that I've been a part of," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. Never was that more evident than in Game 2 of the LDS, when shortstop Erick Aybar -- a great defender, but, like everyone else in the lineup, a difficult out -- drilled a two-run triple off Josh Beckett to break the game open. Abreu deserves some credit for the Angels' offensive turnaround: They scored 118 more runs than they did in 2008. Abreu is one of the game's most patient hitters, and the effect seems clear -- the Angels were last in the league in pitches seen last year, but fifth in 2009. Against the Yankees in 10 games this year, the Angels scored 65 runs. First baseman Kendry Morales went 12-for-32 with three homers. Catcher Mike Napoli went 11-for-22. Look for the Angels to do what they have done to the Yankees several times in the postseason in this decade -- putting pressure on the Yankees defense by running, and taking the extra base, at all times. No team went from first to third on singles more often than the 2009 Angels.
3. Will the Yankees catch Jose Molina in A.J. Burnett's starts?
They should, and this time, Jorge Posada should act more like the team guy he has always been. When Molina started in Game 2 of the LDS, Posada whined about it. He had a point; he had started 79 of the past 80 postseason games. No catcher in history had even come close to his starts behind the plate in the postseason. But this point is even stronger: Burnett pitches better with Molina back there in part because Molina is a much better defensive catcher than Posada (one major league manager said Posada has trouble handling pitches above his mask). Entering the postseason, Burnett's ERA with Posada catching was 4.96, which was the highest of any of the 10 catchers who had started at least 10 of Burnett's career starts, and was significantly higher than Molina's 3.28 with Burnett. So manager Joe Girardi chose the comfort of his pitcher over the feelings of his catcher. It has been done before. In 2000, Braves manager Bobby Cox started Greg Maddux's personal catcher, left-handed hitting Paul Bako, over Javy Lopez (24 home runs that year) against Cardinals left-hander Rick Ankiel in Game 1 of the LDS. Maddux gave up six runs in the first inning, but Ankiel was taken out in the second inning. Cox hit Lopez for Bako in the top of the second before he got an at-bat, but didn't pinch-hit for the next batter, Maddux, which had to be a first in major league postseason history, and likely a last.
4. How good is that Angels starting pitching?
It was as good as any in the American League for the last month and a half of the season, and then it was even better in the playoffs against the Red Sox. In Game 1, John Lackey combined with relievers on the first shutout in club history in 53 postseason games, and handed the Red Sox (no extra-base hits) their first shutout in their past 69 postseason games. In Game 2, Jered Weaver was almost as good, stifling the Red Sox lineup. After those two, they have three more options to start a game, with Scott Kazmir, Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana. The Angels will need four starting pitchers in the LCS, but they have five.
5. How good is the Yankees starting pitching?
Like A-Rod, CC Sabathia got rid of a lot of his baggage with a solid performance in winning Game 1 against the Twins. His career postseason ERA had been above 7.00. Those around him will say, and correctly, that in the past two postseasons he was exhausted by the regular season. Not this year. He got normal rest in the final two months, so he shouldn't be tired this year. The bigger question is Andy Pettitte, who had mild shoulder issues down the stretch, and was hit hard by the Angels this year: 0-2, 7.88 ERA, 21 hits and eight walks in 16 innings. Then there is a question about the No. 4 spot in the Yankees rotation. Will Joba Chamberlain get the ball, or will his two relief appearances in the LDS convince the Yankees that, at least for this postseason, he is better off in the pen? But if Chamberlain doesn't start Game 4, will the Yankees start Chad Gaudin?
PREDICTION: YANKEES IN SEVEN
(c) 2009 ESPN Internet Ventures.
Rodriguez and Posada power Yanks back to ALCS
MINNEAPOLIS --- Andy Pettitte dominating for the Yankees in the postseason is as familiar to New Yorkers as cheese cake and floppy slices of pizza.
But Alex Rodriguez suddenly finding his October swing? That's a new addition to the Bronx Bombers' menu for playoff success.
Rodriguez and Jorge Posada hit seventh-inning home runs and Pettitte was brilliant for 6 1-3 innings to help the Yankees advance to their first ALCS in five years with a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins in their division series on Sunday night.
A-Rod's long ball tied the game 1-1 in the seventh, the second time in as many games he's hit a huge home run. His two-run shot off Twins closer Joe Nathan in the ninth inning of Game 2 tied the game New York eventually won in 11 innings.
"Without Alex, we are not in this situation right now," said manager Joe Girardi, whose Yankees will host the Los Angeles Angels in Game 1 of the ALCS on Friday.
It was a statement series for one of the most talented players -- and one of the biggest targets for criticism -- in the game. Baseball's highest-paid player carried a .136 postseason average into this series and has been criticized in the Big Apple for his big-game failures and admission to using steroids when he was with the Texas Rangers.
But he was 5 for 11 (.455) with two homers and six RBIs in the three-game sweep of the Twins.
"For A-Rod to have the series he had was absolutely tremendous," outfielder Nick Swisher said. "To put everyone else, just a nice little zipper over their lips for the way he's played in the postseason thus far. It's a great feeling, a great thing to see."
These new, looser Yankees have rallied around Rodriguez, and he has been visibly more relaxed since returning from hip surgery that caused him to miss the first month of the season.
"I knew that I couldn't change all the 0-for-4s, 0-for-5s and all the guys I left on base," Rodriguez said. "I'm content right now, both on and off the field."
Rodriguez's homer in the seventh helped make up for the lone blemish on a sterling start from Pettitte, who gave up one run on three hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. He carried a perfect game through four innings, but was nearly matched pitch for pitch by former Yankee Carl Pavano.
Joe Mauer's RBI-single in the sixth inning broke a scoreless tie and got the Metrodome rocking, but Rodriguez and Posada quickly responded to put the Yankees back in control.
"It seems like the whole postseason so far, we are kind of sputtering along a little bit and maybe when we give up the lead, our guys fire right back and score some runs," said Pettitte, who tied John Smoltz atop the career list with his 15th postseason win.
Mariano Rivera got the last four outs in the final baseball game at the Metrodome, which didn't go quietly.
More than 54,000 Homer Hanky-waving fans brought plenty of nervous energy into the building after the Twins blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning of Game 2 in New York.
Pavano kept the powerful Yankee lineup on ice for the first five innings, and the place erupted when Mauer's single scored Denard Span for a 1-0 lead in the sixth.
But Pavano, who allowed two runs on five hits with a season-high nine strikeouts in seven innings, gave up the solo homers to Rodriguez and Posada before another baserunning mistake doomed the Twins.
"Late in the game, to give up those two home runs, I felt it deflated us a little bit and it was tough to get out of that hole," Pavano said.
Nick Punto led off the eighth with a double, then rounded third base hard on a dribbler up the middle by Span. But Derek Jeter cut it off before it hit the outfield and fired home to Posada.
Punto ran through a stop sign from third base coach Scott Ullger, then slammed on the brakes. But it was too late. Posada threw Punto out at third base, squelching a potential rally.
"You can go from hero to goat real quick," said Punto, who threw Detroit's Miguel Cabrera out at home in the 12th inning of Minnesota's win over the Tigers in the one-game playoff for the AL Central crown Tuesday. "Tonight I was the goat."
Mariano Rivera got four outs for the save, slamming on the door on 28 years of pro baseball in the Dome. The Twins will move into brand new outdoor Target Field next season, but weren't quite ready to leave this place yet.
It was a disappointing conclusion to a memorable final season under the roof. The Twins went 17-4 down the stretch and became the first team in league history to come from three games behind with four to play to win the division, thanks in large part to the raucous environment at the Metrodome.
"It was a great run this place had," first baseman Michael Cuddyer said. "It went away kicking and screaming."
NOTES: Posada and Robinson Cano added RBI singles in the ninth inning. ... Pavano's nine strikeouts marked a Twins record for a postseason game. ... Twins bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek, who has been on the staff since 1981, threw out the honorary first pitch. ... The Yankees are 51-1 this season when limiting their opponent to two runs or fewer. ... The Yankees went 5-5 against the Angels this season.
(c) 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Royals' Butler picked as AL's top player in September
The strong September kick by first baseman Billy Butler resulted in his selection Tuesday as the American League player of the month, but the Royals missed a chance to sweep the two major monthly awards when Seattle's Felix Hernandez beat out Zack Greinke as the pitcher of the month.
Hernandez's achievement figures to fuel debate regarding the Cy Young Award since he is generally viewed as Greinke's stiffest competition for that honor.
Cy Young ballots, like all voting for the Baseball Writers' Association of America awards, must be submitted prior to the start of postseason play. The results will be announced in mid-November.
Hernandez finished 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA in 34 starts. Greinke was 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA in 33 starts. The BBWAA voting panel is different from the panel that selects the monthly awards.
Butler is the first Royal selected as player of the month since Carlos Beltran in April 2004. Butler batted .363 with six homers and 26 RBIs in 27 games with a .459 on-base percentage and a .657 slugging percentage.
Minnesota outfielder Michael Cuddyer finished second to Butler after batting .282 with eight homers and 24 RBIs in 27 games. New York first baseman Mark Teixeira and Toronto outfielder Adam Lind also received votes.
Hernandez went 5-0 with a 1.35 ERA in six starts in winning the pitching award over Greinke, who was 3-0 with a 0.55 ERA in five starts. New York's C.C. Sabathia (4-0, 1.29) and Toronto's Roy Halladay (4-2 and 1.47) also received votes.
Chicago first baseman Derrek Lee and Atlanta right-hander Jair Jurrgens were picked as the National League player and pitcher of the month. Oakland pitcher Brett Anderson and Milwaukee infielder Casey McGehee were picked as the AL and NL rookies of the month.
The Royals were looking to sweep the two major awards for the first time since George Brett and Bret Saberhagen did so in July 1985. The club did it on two other occasions: Brett and Larry Gura in July 1980, and Willie Wilson and Gura in September 1981.
The American League began selecting a player of the month in 1974 and a pitcher of the month in 1979.
Butler is only the 10th Royals player selected for the monthly honor. Brett was a six-time choice, while eight others won it once: John Mayberry, Wilson, Hal McRae, Jeff King, Joe Randa, Jermaine Dye, Johnny Damon, Mike Sweeney and Beltran.
Clutch award
Greinke is also one of six September nominees for the Major League Baseball Clutch Performer of the Month Presented by Pepsi, which seeks to recognize the player who consistently performed best in the clutch.
Oddly, perhaps, neither Hernandez nor Butler is among the other nominees, which consist of Cuddyer, Lee, Sabathia, Seattle outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and Atlanta pitcher Javier Vazquez.
The winner is determined through an online vote at www.pepsiclutch.mlb.com through 10:59 p.m. Friday.
Greinke won the award in April.
Minor details
Here's a bit of hope for the future. The Royals placed five players among the top 20 prospects in the Class A Carolina League in Baseball America's just-released rankings.
Left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery was ranked No. 7, followed by third baseman Mike Moustakas at No. 8, lefty Danny Duffy at No. 11, outfielder David Lough at No. 16 and shortstop Jeff Bianchi at No. 19.
(c) The Kansas City Star.
AL MVP race questions award's purpose
Should it go to intangibles player on winning team or slugger?
The voting for the 2009 American League Most Valuable Player Award is heading straight to familiar philosophical-debate territory once again.
Should the award go to Derek Jeter, the player with excellent numbers across the board for the best team in the league, a guy who exudes the intangibles that scream "valuable" and might have deserved this award three years ago?
Should the hardware be given to Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, the player with the best power numbers on that same team?
Or is it a no-brainer to hand the accolades to Twins catcher Joe Mauer, the rock of a second-place team who simply dominated the rest of the league in batting average while answering the only question about his offensive value with a career power year -- all from the most demanding position on the field?
That's what the voters from the Baseball Writers' Association of America will be dealing with when they sit down to select the AL MVP.
Minnesota's Mauer and his astounding batting average -- .371 after Sunday -- have him cruising to his third career AL title in four years in that category. But the numbers that make him the popular choice for MVP honors are the ones that have long been expected from this former No. 1 overall Draft pick.
Through Sunday, Mauer has 28 home runs, which has more than doubled his previous single-season high (13 in 2006). He also has achieved career single-season highs in RBIs, on-base percentage and slugging, all while missing time early on with back problems. He's likely to repeat as the AL's Gold Glove Award winner behind the plate, too.
"The year he's having, it's unfortunate we're not in first place, because he'd be, I mean, in my opinion he still should get the MVP, but he'd be running away with that thing," Mauer's teammate and former AL MVP Justin Morneau said recently.
"With what he does behind the plate, controlling the game, and offensively dominating, it's amazing. Unfortunately, we're not the team that's seven games up or he'd be getting [a little more] recognition for the season he's having."
Will Mauer Power be enough to best two Bronx Bombers for the hardware? Only the BBWAA knows.
Here's a rundown of the leading AL MVP candidates:
THE FAVORITE
Mauer, C, Twins: The best thing about him is the fact that he's still only 26 years old. The tough thing for the payroll-challenged Twins is that he's slated to be eligible for free agency after 2010, and the Yankees and Red Sox are reportedly already interested.
CONTENDERS
Jeter, SS, Yankees: It's crazy to think that he's now an elder statesman of the game, but Jeter, at the age of 35, is having a vintage season. His batting average and on-base percentage are the highest they've been since his near-MVP year of 2006, and he broke Lou Gehrig's all-time Yankees hits record. Most important could be the fact that his defensive ratings are the best they've been in years.
Teixeira, 1B, New York Yankees: He's put up his highest home run total in a season since he clouted 43 long balls in 2005, and he's leading the AL in RBIs. It certainly looks like the spotlight of New York hasn't bothered him one bit.
Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers: Very quietly, you're looking at another 30-plus-homer, 100-plus-RBI season along with one of the top batting averages in the AL for this still-young slugger. And it doesn't hurt his candidacy that the Tigers are on track to win the AL Central.
DARK HORSES
Kendry Morales, 1B, Los Angeles Angels: His first full season in the Major Leagues has been a boon to the Angels and a big surprise to the rest of the AL. The switch-hitting slugger tailed off a bit in recent weeks but he's got a good chance to finish the year with a .300 average, 30 homers and 100 RBIs.
Ichiro Suzuki, OF, Seattle Mariners: Ichiro would be on his way to the AL batting title if it weren't for Mauer, has continued his Gold Glove-caliber play in right field, and he set another Major League record -- nine straight seasons with 200-plus hits -- in the process for the rebounding Mariners.
Jason Bay, OF, Boston Red Sox: It's been a roller-coaster season for Bay, who has weathered several hot and cold streaks, but at the end of the year, the numbers are there in a big way, making him the most viable candidate on the likely AL Wild Card team.
HONORABLE MENTION
Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox; Robinson Cano, Yankees; Michael Young and Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers; Adam Lind and Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays; Evan Longoria, Jason Bartlett, Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays; Morneau, Twins; Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter, Angels; Zack Greinke, Royals.
(c) 2001-2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
White Sox not lacking quality starts
CHICAGO -- If quality starts were the only indicator of a successful baseball season, then the White Sox would be breezing through the regular season on their way to a second World Series in six years.
With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, Chicago's starting pitchers lead the American League in quality starts, having amassed 80 of them in 152 games. Boston is second with 77, Minnesota third at 76 and Seattle fourth with 75.
A starting pitcher is credited with a quality start if he tosses at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs.
Of course, that statistic is only part of the equation in constructing a playoff-hopeful and championship-caliber team -- which is why the White Sox find themselves in third place in the American League Central.
"You talk about quality starts, it's a shame the White Sox are in the position we are when we lead the American League, maybe Major League Baseball, in quality starts," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I think everybody in the starting rotation gives us quality starts. We just haven't gotten it done. I think the pitching staff we have, they're good enough to give us quality starts. They've been doing that, but it's a shame with the quality starts they have, they don't have [as many wins as they should]."
On Wednesday night, White Sox ace Mark Buehrle will look to boost the team's number of quality starts to 81 when he takes the mound against lefty Brian Duensing in the series finale against the Twins at U.S. Cellular Field.
Buehrle is third on the team with 18 quality starts, one behind both Gavin Floyd and John Danks. Other starters who have contributed to the overall number have been Jose Contreras (seven), Freddy Garcia (six), Clayton Richard (five), Bartolo Colon (four) and Carlos Torres (two).
"It's a good thing for the staff to be proud of, and it's a good thing for the pitchers to be proud of," White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "At the same time, we should've gotten some more wins this year."
Part of the reason for some of the team's quality starts going for naught stems from both the South Siders' under-performing offense and sometimes faulty bullpen.
Entering Tuesday night's game, Chicago was hitting just .259, tied for the third-lowest in the AL. The White Sox also had been shut out a league-leading 13 times this season. And the bullpen has contributed as well, blowing 18 saves.
"If you're leading the league in quality starts, you've got to be scoring at least four runs in order to win those games," White Sox reliever D.J. Carrasco said. "It's a combination of us having a good quality start and our team scoring four or five runs and the bullpen holding that quality start. Because you can still have a quality start and the bullpen blows it."
Despite having the highest number of quality starts in the league and a solid 4.22 ERA, White Sox starters are just 51-56 this season.
"We said coming in that we thought we'd have a pretty good staff," Pierzynski said. "Sometimes things don't work out the way you expect. We thought we'd hit a little bit more and we didn't, and we thought we'd score a few more runs and we've kind of struggled a little bit here and there in that department. Baseball's funny like that.
Right now, however, with Chicago languishing in third place in the AL Central, eight games behind first-place Detroit with 10 games remaining, the White Sox aren't laughing.
Pitching matchup
CWS: LHP Mark Buehrle (12-9, 3.84 ERA)
By throwing six-plus innings during Friday's loss to the Royals, Buehrle became the only active hurler to win at least 10 games, make 30 starts and work 200 innings in nine consecutive seasons. Buehrle also slipped to 1-6 over 11 starts since his perfect game against the Rays on July 23, having allowed 89 hits and 38 earned runs over 69 2/3 innings during this stretch. Buehrle is 2-2 with a 5.28 ERA against the Twins this season and has an 8-5 record at U.S. Cellular Field. He has a lifetime mark of 23-15 against Minnesota.
MIN: LHP Brian Duensing (4-1, 3.22 ERA)
Duensing has looked impressive since moving into the Twins' rotation, but Friday against Detroit might have been his best start yet. Duensing held the Tigers scoreless over 6 1/3 innings, his second straight start without surrendering a run. He allowed just four hits, only one of which went for extra bases. As a starter, Duensing is 4-0 with a 1.70 ERA. He has made two starts against the White Sox, the last coming on Sept. 2, when he pitched seven scoreless innings but didn't factor in the decision.
Tidbits
The White Sox have lost three straight home games for the first time since losing four from June 2-5. Chicago now is 1-8 in its past nine games against Minnesota. ... On Tuesday, Gordon Beckham notched his first multi-RBI game since Sept. 1, also against the Twins. He is hitting .429 (18-for-42) with four home runs and 10 RBIs in 11 games vs. Minnesota this season. ... Paul Konerko hit the third longest home run at U.S. Cellular Field this season, a 441-foot shot in the eighth inning of Tuesday's game. Konerko, who finished 3-for-4, has produced a multi-hit effort in five of his past nine games. ... Guillen said that Wednesday's start for Buehrle would not be his last of the season. There had been speculation that if the White Sox were eliminated from playoff contention, Buehrle would not pitch beyond his start against the Twins. "Everybody has to be ready," Guillen said. "The way we've got it right now, Buehrle is starting the last game in Detroit. If that game means something to Detroit, or Minnesota or us, he's going to be out there. I've got to go out with the best."
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